To Be A Boy

Day‑one parental rights. Stronger protections at work. An end to silence agreements hiding discrimination. And a serious rethink of how the UK supports parents to actually afford time with their kids.
The Employment Rights Act is changing the rules of work and this conversation gets into what that really means for dads, mums, self‑employed parents, kinship carers and families trying to stay afloat. From paternity leave that finally starts on day one, to flexible working that employers can’t just dismiss, to the long‑overdue review of parental leave and pay, we dig into where the system is shifting, where it still falls short, and what comes next.
This is about fairness, dignity, and whether work in the UK is finally starting to catch up with real life.

Check out the following resources:
New employment rights: Guidance for businesses and workers - providing guidance for employers and workers
Make Work Pay - GOV.UK - where you can find consultations and policy papers relating to the government's Make Work Pay initiative

Joe Wicks, is a GOOD MAN – the type we're glad to role model to our boys. And Hark! Lucky us, he joins To Be A Boy for a powerful conversation about boys, body image, gym culture, social media pressure and modern fatherhood. The man is home schooling his four children alongside his wife and we love that for them.
From growing up without a male role model to becoming a PE teacher to millions, Joe reflects on how movement can support boys’ mental health and when fitness culture can tip into obsession and explores how parents can help boys grow into kind, emotionally healthy men, not just strong bodies.
A must‑listen for anyone raising boys in a world full of algorithms, abs and unrealistic expectations.

Joeli and Elliott dive into the biology, psychology and sheer chaos of fatherhood with evolutionary anthropologist Dr. Anna Machin. They look at the wild hormonal rewiring, brain upgrades and instinctive nurturing behaviours that kick in when men become fathers.
Spoiler: testosterone drops, oxytocin rises, and suddenly dad is biologically primed to bond, care and spot danger like a caffeinated meerkat. From rough‑and‑tumble play (which is apparently developmental gold) to the hidden crisis of UK paternity leave, this episode tackles the science behind why dads matter.
We also explore the big issues shaping boyhood today: fatherlessness, social father figures, resilience, emotional development, toxic masculinity myths, and why youth clubs disappearing is basically society shooting itself in the foot.
This episode is supported by Koru Kids, a childcare marketplace helping busy families find brilliant, trusted part time nannies.
From school pickups to homework, dinner and winding down, Koru Kids gives parents some easy days in their week, with vetted, trained nannies across the UK. Find out more here: ⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/49y19rl⁠⁠

The UK is deciding whether to ban under‑16s from social media, and we’ve got the Online Safety Minister in the hot seat but before that they chew the fat on THAT vote in parliament and who’s right in the knock ginger/knock-a-door run debate…
Elliott and Joeli grill Kanishka Narayan on screen‑time addiction, bullying, harmful content, porn regulation, school‑wide phone bans, and whether often-times glacial governments stand a chance of keeping up with tech giants.
If you care about kids, policy or your own scrolling habits, thisone’s for you.
Parents are invited to access the online safety hubhere:  https://www.educateagainsthate.com/online-safety-parent-hub/
And the online consultation here: http://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/growing-up-in-the-online-world-a-national-consultation
This episode is supported by Koru Kids, a childcaremarketplace helping busy families find brilliant, trusted part time nannies.
From school pickups to homework, dinner and winding down, Koru Kids gives parents some easy days in their week, with vetted, trained nannies across the UK. Find out more here: ⁠⁠⁠http://bit.ly/49y19rl⁠⁠

Join this lively debate with Joeli and Elliott, as experts Sonia Livingstone and Susie Davies tackle the hot topic of social media bans for under-16s in the UK. Discover the pros and cons of digital consent age, the impact on mental health, and the role of parents in navigating the digital landscape.
The gloves are off! (No experts were harmed in the recording of this episode.)
This episode is supported by Koru Kids, a childcare marketplace helping busy families find brilliant, trusted part time nannies.
From school pickups to homework, dinner and winding down, Koru Kids gives parents some easy days in their week, with vetted, trained nannies across the UK.
Find out more here: ⁠⁠http://bit.ly/49y19rl⁠⁠